Folding box



Sept. 8, 1942. R. w. HOAG 2,295,515

FOLDING BOX Filed June 6, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig R. W. HOAG Sept. 8, 1942.

FOLDING BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1938 Rgt epted Sept. 8, 1942 i rommc Box Roderick W. Hoag, Melrose, Mass., 1!

or to n Harlow M. Russell and Melvin H. Sidebotham, copartners doing business as Russell & Sidebotham, Melrose, Mass.

Application June 6, 1939, Serial No. 277,643

5 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in folding boxes of the type which automatically retain the walls thereof in upright position upon being brought to such position.

One object of this invention is to provide a folding box of the character described, having at each corner a flap, an edge of which frictionally creased line l2, instead of creased line I3. is at the corner of the box.

Figurel'l is a perspective view of the box shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14, tilted so as to show a portion of the interior thereof.

Figure 18 is a perspective view of a box cover made in the same manner as the box shown in engages the bottom section of the box to hold the box walls in upright position with respect to the bottom section of the box.

Another and important object of this invention is to provide an improved box blank having wall retaining elements integral with the end walls.

With said objects in view, and others hereinafter explained, my invention consists of the folding box substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

f the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank from which my improved box may be formed.

Figurel2 is a plan view of the blank showing the condition thereof after folding operations have been performed on opposite side margins.

Figure 3 is the same as Figure 2 except that areas are shown to which adhesive may be applied in the method of making the box.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the completed box in collapsed condition after the folding operations have been completed.

Figure 5 is a. plan view of the box in set-up condition.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the box showing one of the side walls.

Figure 7 is an end elevation of the box in set-up condition.

Figures 8 to 14 inclusive and Figure 17, illus- Figures 1 to '7 inclusive.

Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a cut and scored blank of suitable material such 'as' paper box board, creased lines being represented by dotted lines 9, Hi, II, It, and I3, and cut lines represented by full lines it. The said creased lines and cut lines effect a division of the blank to form a bottom I for the box, side walls 2 and 5, end wall sections 4 and 5, corner segments 8, wall retaining flaps 6, and side wall folding elements I. V

After the blank has been cut and creased as above described, the wall retaining flaps 6 are folded on creased lines I2 to lie against the cortrate a modified embodiment of myinvention,

wherein the end walls converge inwardly when the box is set up, while the side walls diverge outwardly with relation to the bottom section.

Figure 8 is the same as Figure 1 except that certain creased lines are omitted.

Figures 9, 10 and 11 illustrate the progressive responding end walls 6 and 5. The side walls 2 and 3 are folded 'on lines It to lie against the bottom section of the box, and the side wall folding elements I are doubled against the corresponding side walls as illustrated by Figure 2. Adhesive is then applied to the side wall folding elements I as shown by Figure 3. The end walls A and 5 are thereafter folded on creased lines 9 causing the wall retaining flaps 6 to contact the corresponding side wall folding elements 1, thus becoming adhesively secured thereto. Figure 4 illustrates the box in completed flat folded condition ready to be set up for use.

I When it is desired to set up the box produced by the method just described, the side walls 2 to hold the side falls in upright position when the box is set up. It will b noted that the perimeter of the opening of the box will be equal to the perimeter of the bottom section of the box. If it is desired to have the walls of the box at precisely 90 with relation to the bottom section, as illustrated by' Figure 15, it will be necessary to manipulate each comer of the boxso that the creased line 18, instead of creased line 12, will be at the corner of the box. In cases where the box is provided with a cover Figure 16 is similar to Figure 15 except that which is made exactly the same as the box, ex-

1 result that the corner of creased lines ll.

2 cept that certain dimensions are increased, the w'allsofthebox andthe coverwillbedrawn to extend at precisely 90' bottom section of the box due to the action of pressing the cover down over the walls of the box. In iitting the cover to the box, it will be obvious that as the cover is pressed downwardly walls of the cover will be forced outwardly, thus sine It to creased line it. Conversely the action of pressing the cover downward upon the box will force the side walls of the box inwardly and the end walls of the box outwardly, with the the box is changed from creasedline lltocreasedline I3.

In the method of producing the box, a rectangular shaped blank is first creased and cut to provide the box elements above described. It is necessary, however, that certain of the creased lines and the cuts be carefully fashioned so that when the folding operations are performed there will be no damage done to the wall retaining flaps l which must remain in iiat condition so that when the box is set up there will be proper frictional engagement between the bottom section of the box and the lower edge of said wall retaining flaps. Creased lines ll (Figs. 1 and 8) are parallel with each other and parallel with 1 the side edges of the blank. Creased lines 8 are at right angles .to the sides of the blank and parallel with each other and they are also parallel with the end edges of the blank. The creased lines I! (Fig. 1) are parallel with the The creased lines l2, however, are at an angle l8 (Figs. 1 and 8) with relation to creased lines I, said angle being somewhat greater than 90. The creaseddines II are each at an angle II, with relation tocreased lines Hi, this angle being somewhat less than 45. The cuts ll are at an angle II which is somewhat less than 90with relation to lines III.

In practice, for certain sizes of boxes it will be found that favorable results will be obtained by having creased lines I I at an angle of 43 /2 with relationsto lines It, creased lines 12 at an angle of 91% with relation to lines 9, and cuts ll at an angle of 88 /2 with relation to lines I. It should be understood, however, that there are a number of factors that must be considered in order to determine just the right angles to use. The depth of the box and the thickness and stiffness of the blank material determine, to a great extent, the exact angles to use to obtain the best results. It is desirable in many cases to remove small areas of the blank adjacent to the cut lines l4, so that the wall retaining flaps 8 will lie close against the side walls, when the box is set up.

The construction and the method of making the box illustrated in Figures 8 to 14 inclusive and Figures 1'? is a modified form of my invention. Figure 8 is the same as Figure 1 except that creased lines 13 shown in Figure 1 are omitted from the blank shown in Figure 8. All other features of the blank shown in Figure 8 are exactly the same as those of the blank shown chanl l the corner from creased with relation to the creased lines is, instead of creased lines l2, to lie at the precise cornersof the box.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred forms of construction and the preferred method for carrying my invention into effect, these are capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit ,of the invention.

I have shown the cut ha I (Figs. 1 and 8) as the preferred form of cuts to. be provided in the blanks, but the cuts may be varied without departing from my invention. Said cuts may be in the form of slots having straight sides, or they may be V-shaped. The creased lines l2 and II shown in Figure 1 maybe in the form 9 of one V-shaped crease, or a series of creases forming a fan-crease.

Instead of applying adhesive to the side wall folding elements 1 (Figs. 3 and 10), the adhesive in Figure 1. The method of fabricating this embodiment is the same as that shown in Figures 1 to inclusive, except that creased line I2 is at each comer of the box instead of creased v may be applied to corresponding areas of the wall retaining naps I.

Having described my invention, what I claim is: l. A rectangular blank for paper boxes having creased lines and cuts fashioned therein, comprising, a pair of creased lines extending longitudinally the length of the blank and being parallel with the side edges of the blank; a pair of transversely creased lines connecting intermediate points of the longitudinally creased lines and being parallel with the end edges of the blank, thus providing a bottom, a pair of end walls and a pair of side margins, said side margins each being provided with two outwardly converging cuts, each cut extending from the junction point of the transversely and longitudinally creased lines to the corresponding side edge of the blank; said cuts effecting a division of the side margins to provide side walls crease-hinged to opposite sides of the bottom, the end portions of the side margins being crease-hinged to the end walls and being wider at the outer edges than at the creasehinged edges; creased lines radiating from each corner of the bottom lie at an angle slightly less than forty-five degrees from the sides of the bottom across each side wall; each end portion of the side margins being intersected by a creased line extending from a corner of the bottom to the corresponding end edge of the blank and lying close to the corresponding creased line extending longitudinally the length of the blank, effecting a division of each end portion of the side margins to form a corner segment, and a wall retaining flap at each corner of the blank.

2. A rectangular blank for paper boxes having creased lines and cuts fashioned therein comprising, a pair of creased lines extending longitudinally of the blank and being parallel with the side edges of the blank; a pair of transversely creased lines connecting the longitudinally creased lines and being parallel with the end edges of the blank, thus providing a bottom, a pair of end walls and a pair of side margins; each side margin having therein two outwardly converging cuts, each cut extending from the junction point of the transversely andlongitudinally creased lines to the corresponding side edge of the blank; said cuts divide the side margins to provide side wallscrease-hinged to opposite sides of the bottom,

and side margin and portions crease-hinged to the end walls and being wider at the outer edges corner ofthe bottom.

end portion from a corner of the bottom to the corresponding end edge of the blank and lying close to the corresponding creased line extending longitudinally the length of the blank 3. A rectangular blank for foldingpaper boxes having creased lines and cuts therein which eflect a division of the blank toform a rectangular bottom, a pair 0! side walls crease-hinged to opposite sides of the bottoxin'each side wall being crossed by two creased lines each line radiating from a corner of the bottom and lying at an angle oi less than 45" degrees from the cor esponding side or the bottom; a pair of endwa creasehinged to opposite ends of the bottom, triangular shaped corner segments crease-hinged to opposit'e sides of each end wall section, and a quadrilateral shaped wall retaining flap creasehinged to each corner segment on a. side of, the corner segment radiating from the corresponding 4. A folding wall box comprising, a bottom, upright side walls and end walls, each side wall being intersected by two creased lines each line radiatingirom a corner of the bottom and extending at an angle of less than forty-five de grees from the bottom edge of the side wall, the said end walls each having a triangular shaped corner segment crease-hinged to its opposite sides, and a quadrilateral shaped -wall retaining flap crease-hinged to each corner segmnt on a side 0! the corner segment radiating from the corresponding corner of the bottom and being secured to the inside surface of the corres'ponding side wall, the box when erected having a perimeter at the opening equal to the perimeter of the bottom.

5. A folding wall box comprising, a bottom, side I walls and end walls; each side wall being intersected by two creased lines radiating from cor-. responding comers oi the bottom and each creased line extending at an angle :of less than Iorty-five degrees from the bottom edge of the side wall; the said end walls each comprising a, 

